The present invention relates to a technology for reproducing contents by means of equipment connected with a network.
Accompanying with spreading of BS (Broadcast Satellite) and CATV (Cable Television), a number of broadcast stations of TV (Television) broadcasting is increasing. Further, in recent years, it is possible to receive a stream through a network, and also to reproduce various kinds of contents stored in other equipments in a house, such as, a HDR (Hard Disk Recorder), etc., for example, or to select one from an innumerable number of contents within a stream contents distribution server out of the house, thereby to reproduce it.
In this manner, under the circumstance of being able to select and for reproducing a large number of broadcast stations/contents, in particular, with a method of selecting a receiving contents by designating a channel number, while liking the channels with the broadcast stations/contents, there is drawback that an enormous number of channels is necessary and is bad in an operability when designating.
As a technology for dissolving this problem, there is one of memorizing data of the plural number of channels, substantially at the same time, while exchanging the receiving channel of one (1) unit of a tuner, and is disclosed, for example, in the following Patent Document 1. With using the technology disclosed in the Patent Document 1, it is possible to display six (6) kinds of pictures of broadcast contents, each being reduced down to ⅙ or less, for example, for each channel (hereinafter, being called “a reduced list display”) on one (1) screen).
Also, in the stream contents distribution service, there is a method of distributing high-definition contents for the full screen to be reproduced, but after distributing a plural number of low-definition contents for a reduced screen, to be displayed as the reduced list display, for a user to select one therefrom.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-245226 (see page 1, and FIG. 2).